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J. H. RICE. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 604,638. Patented May 24,1898.

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Patented May 24,1898.

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J. H RICE. KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented May 24, 1898.

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No. 604,638. Patented May 24,1898.

with them auxiliary cams to operate the neelUNrrEn S ATES ATFNT @rricn.

JOHN 1 1. 'EioE, or MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEIGHTONMACHINE COMPANY, or sAME PLACE.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,638, dated May 24,1898..

Application filed June 18,1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. RICE, of Manchester, in the county ofHillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented an ImprovementinKnitting-l\Iachines, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters andfigures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an improved knitting-machine adapted to produce in novel manner a fabric presenting atdesired intervals plain-rib and tuck or royal rib knitting.

Rib-knitting is commonly done on two sets of needles, and when thefabric is to be made of that form called tuck or royal rib it has beencustomary to place the needles of one set in such position with relationto the thread guide or guides used to supply such needles with threadthat said needles will receive the yarn, but will not be immediatelywithdrawn far enough to cast off their loops and knit, said needles,however, knitting when brought into such relation to a secondthread-guide that they may receive thread, the needles casting theirloops and knitting after they have taken the thread from the secondthread-guide or from the same guide the second time as when there is butone threadguide. The thread-guides referred to always supply threads tothe needles whether knitting tuck or royal rib or plain rib. In this wayit will be seen that when tuck or royal rib is being knitted the needlesactually knit only at alternate thread-guides, and consequently onlyhalf the number of courses will be knitted as when plain rib is beingknitted, for during the knitting of plain rib every needle knits itsthread before taking another thread. I have aimed to keep up the productof this class of machines and knit as many courses when working themachine for tuck or royal rib as when knit-ting plain rib, and I haveeffected my object by providing the machine with a plurality ofauxiliarythread guides, each having its ownthread, said auxiliary-threadguides having combined dles to knit only while tuck 0r royal rib is being made, the needles at such time taking $erial No. 641,215. (No model.)

thread also from the auxiliary-thread guides.

These auxiliary cams are placed under the control of a pattern-surface,and they may consequently be brought automatically into operation at anydesired time. The auxiliary threads put into the fabric when knittingtuck or royal rib are cut off by a suitable cutting device whenplain-rib knitting is to be resumed, and the cut end of the threadleading to the bobbin is held by a suitable clamp or holder, so that itwill not fly out of the guide.

Figure 1, on a small scale, shows in side elevation a knitting-machinecontaining my invention. Fig. 2, on a larger scale, shows a plan viewbelow the dotted line as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows in elevation, partiallybroken out, the machine shown in Fig. 2. 4 is a top or plan View showinga part of the dial or plate needle bed and the devices located in thespace bounded by the latched. ends of the dial or plate-needles. Fig. 5is an under side View of the dial-needle cam-plate, and Fig. 6 is adetail showing the clamp for holding the end of the auxiliary thread.

The bed-plate Afor supporting the Workin g parts, it being erected inpractice upon a suitable stand or legs, (not shown,) the dial-needle beda the dogs I), the spindle B, the yoke B, the body of the dial-needlecam-plate A toothed at a, the main shaft A it in practice having abevel-gearA to engage the teeth a and rotate the dial-needle cam-plate,the dial or plate needles a, the cam-cylinder B for actuating thecylinder-needles 12 it being fast on said spindle B, the cylinder-needlebed B having lugs (see Fig. 3) embraced by the dogs 1), the washer b onwhich the cylinder-needle bed rests, the collar 5 the toothed gear 0driven from the teeth a of the dialneedle cam plate through anintermediate gear and pinion, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) thepattern-shaft 0 having an attached sprocket-Wheel C, the chain 0,carried by said sprocket-wheel, the rod 0 resting on the pattern-chainand carrying at its upper end a cam to be described, the ratchet-wheel 0mounted loosely on the top of the dial-needle cam-plate, and thespring-pressed pawl e, mounted on the bell-crank lever c, it having anattached roller or other stud 6 which is actuated by the cam carried bythe said rod 0 are and may be all substantially as shown and designatedby like letters in United States Patent No. 573,275, dated December 15,1896. This present invention differs, however, from the invention shownand described in said patent chiefly in the construction of the camscarried by the dial-needle cam-plate and in the shape of the cam carriedby the rod 0 and the shape of the pattern-teeth movable with theratchet-ring c".

The rod 0 herein has a cam a provided with a curved acting face a saidcam, when raised to put its acting face in the plane occupied by theroller or other stud e of the elbow-lever c, acting to move said leverand cause it to turn the ratchet-ring c", as described in said patent;but herein the said ring is shown as cut away at its inner edge to leavea series of pattern projections 2, which in the rotation of saidratchet-ring are made to act on the toes of levers a mounted on thedial-needle cam-plate A This cam-plate has connected to it by suitablescrews 5 auxiliary segments a having slots 4*, said slots receivingstud-screws 3, which are connected with and rise from cams a pivoted at6 on the said auxiliary segments. These studscrews 3 are also embracedby the levers a so that when the projections 2 of the ratchetring meetthe toes of the said levers the cams a will be put into the full-lineposition, Fig. 5, in which position they will act to move all theplate-needles far enough in to pass their latches fully into the loopson their shank and at the same time take thread from theauxiliary-thread guide a, and when the said needles are drawn outwardlyor back they will knit the auxiliary thread taken from theauxiliary-thread guide, said auxiliary thread being, however, drawn orlaid against the inner sides of the usual cylinder-needles b which atthis particular point stand high enough to enable the said auxiliarythread to be laid against them and into their hooks, which are thenopen.

When the levers a are not moved inwardly, as described, by theprojections 2 of the ratchet-ring, said ring being at such time at rest,then said earns a occupy their dotted-line positions, Fig. 5, and thebutts of the needles when passing the said cams are not thrown forwardthereby far enough to take thread from the auxiliary-th read guides, andconsequently the needles are in such positions in the said cams a thatthey are not moved to take thread and knit. The dial cam-plate has'alsoattached to it by screws Z) (see Fig. 2) what I shall call the mainsegments 1), they having at their under sides the usual throwing-outcams b and a drawcam b also of usual construction. The auxiliarysegments a also have connected with them like draw-cams a Each of thesedrawcams 19 and a have, respectively, studs 10 and 12, which areextended upwardly through suitable slots in the said segments. The

studs 10 are acted upon by a screw 13,mounted in a split ear rising fromsaid segment, and a spring 14 acts to keep the stud 10 pressed againstthe screw 13 in its adjusted position. The studs 12 are each embraced bya short link 15, attached to one end of a lever 16, pivoted at 17, saidlever having at its inner end an car 18, which bears against the head ofan adj usting-screw 20, inserted in one end of a lever c, pivoted at c,said lever being split at its end where it is threaded to receive thescrew 20, so that by or through a screw 0 the said screw 20 whenadjusted into position may be firmly clamped and held immovable. Thecams on the main segment are in action at all times, whatever may be thecharacter of the knitting, and they actuate all the dial-needles to takethread from the main-thread guides 01, and each of said threads is knitto form a course of stitches at each rotation of the dial-needlecam-plate.

During the times that plain-rib work is being knitted the auxiliary camsa are held, as described, out of action, and only the main threads inthe i'nain-thread guides are used to knit; but when the tuck or royalrib stitch is to be knitted then the cams a are automatically throwninto operative position, so that they actuate the said dial or plateneedles in such manner that they take thread from the auxiliary-threadguides located between the main-thread guides, and then both the mainand the auxiliary cams work the said plate-needles to effect theknitting of two courses of stitches at each rotation of the dial-needlecam-plate, they knitting the same number of tuck courses that the maincams knit plain-rib courses.

Prior to this myinvention it has been customary in machines adapted toknit plain-rib and then tuck or royal rib stitch, said machines usingtwo feeds, to so regulate the dialneedles when the tuck or royal ribstitch was to be done that they would take thread for the tuck-stitch atone of the continuing feeds, as d, and knit the thread off at the otherof the two feeds, and consequently the fabric being knitted grew inlength only one course for each rotation of the machine. This reducedthe production of the machine while running it to knit tuck or royalrib, and to obviate this loss of product when knitting tuck or royal ribI have added to this otherwise substantially old machine the auxiliarycams 0. and the auxiliary feeds a The pattern projections 2 of theratchet-ring are so spaced that when one acts to move the lever aanother one acts to move the lever c to cause it to open the draw-cam acooperating with the auxiliary cam a to draw the v into and out ofoperative position, nor to the particular cams shown for controlling thelength of the ribs knitted, and instead I may use any well-knownequivalent device, for it would be obvious that these features may bechanged by only the skill of the mechanic and without any invention.

It 'will be understood that the auxiliary thread taken from theauxiliary-thread guide a will be introduced only when the tuck or royalrib stitch is being knitted, and when the knitting is to be changed toplain-rib stitch then these auxiliary threads must be discontinued, andI have therefore provided cutting mechanism or devices to automaticallycut oit these auxiliary threads at the proper times. The said cuttingmechanism consists, as herein shown, essentially of two stationaryblades g and two movable blades 9, each pair of blades operating to cutits own thread. The movable blades are c011- nected with a block 6mounted to slide on the spindle B and acted upon by a spring 6 whichnormally keeps the blades closed. This block has connected to it a link9 attached to an elbow-leverc pivoted at 63X, said lever having joinedto its opposite end a slide-bar 6, having at one enda roller or otherstud e said stud when the auxiliary threads are to be cutoff being actedupon by the cam a it being at that time raised, as described, by thepattern-surface acting on the rod 0 the said cam separating the bladesto permit auxiliary threads to get in between them, and as soon as theroller e passes off from the end of the cam in the rotation of thedial-plate then the springs c and (2 act to close the cutters and severthe said thread. The two stationary blades g are attached to oppositesides of a block a", fixed on the said spindle B, and suitable pins, as36, (see Fig. 4,) carried by the block 6', enter holes in the block 6thus insuring the proper cutting relation at all times of the two setsof blades. The plate needles take the auxiliary threads from the undersides of the auxiliary-threadguides a and when the plate-needles are notactuated to take the said auxiliary threads then the said threads,during the rotation of the dial cam-plate, are drawn under the usualneedle-supports f, connected to the lower ends of the staffs f, and theyare finally drawn between the open blades of the cutter, and whenpassing under the supports f the said threads are drawn each under aclip orfinger f (see Fig. 6,) which clamps and holds the cut thread nearits end, thus keeping said thread from escaping from the thread-guide awhen tuck or royal rib stitch knitting is not being done.

The method of knitting tuck or royal rib stitches herein described isnovel and forms an important part of this invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a knitting-machine employing two sets ofneedles, one or more main thread guides to constantly supply saidneedles with thread, and means to actuate said needles to knit plain-ribstitch, combined with one or more auxiliary sets of cams and one or moreauxiliary-thread guides which are not in action when the machine isoperated to knit plain-rib stitch, and with means to put said auxiliarycams into operative position to cause them to also actuate saidplate-needles to take said auxiliary threads and enable tuck or royalrib stitch to beknitted at desired times, substantially as described.

2. In aknitting-machine, the following instrumentalities, viz: acylinder-needle bed to contain cylinder-needles, a cylinder-needle camto actuate said needles, a dial-needle bed to contain a series ofplate-needles, a dial-needle cam-plate having aplurality of main cams toactuate said plateneedles, a plurality of main-thread guides havingthreads to at all times supply said plate-needles with thread forplain-rib knitting, a plurality of auxiliary cams carried by saiddial-needle cam-plate, a plurality of auxiliary-thread guides whichoccupy their inoperative position when the machine is actuated to knitplain-rib stitch, and means under the control of a pattern-surface toput said auxiliary cams into their operative position to actuate saidplate-needles to take thread from said auxiliary-thread guides at pointsintermediate the said mainthread guide when tuck or royal rib is to beknitted, and means to effect the putting of the said auxiliary cams outof operative position when plain-rib knitting is to be carried onfollowing tuck or royal rib knitting, substantially as described.

3. In a knitting-machine, the following instrumentalities, viz: acylinder-needle bed to contain cylinder-needles, a cylinder-needle camto actuate said needles, a dial-needle bed to containa series ofplate-needles, adialneedle cam-plate having a plurality of main cams toactuate said plate-needles, a plurality of main-thread guides to supplysaid plate needles at all times for plain-rib knitting, a plurality ofauxiliary-thread guides, a plurality of auxiliary cams, and means underthe control of a pattern-surface to put said auxiliary cams intooperative position to actuate said plate-needles to take thread fromsaid auxiliary-thread guides at points intermediate the said main-threadguide when tuck or royal rib is to be knitted, and means to efiect theputting of the said auxiliary cams out of operative position whenplain-rib knitting is to be carried on following tuck or royal ribknitting, and means to cut off said auxiliary threads, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a knitting-machine, the following instrumentalities, viz: acylinder-needle bed to contain cylinder-needles, a cylinder-needle camto actuate said needles, a dial-needle bed to contain a series ofplate-needles, a dialneedle cam-plate having a plurality of main cams toactuate said plate-needles, a plurality of main-thread guides to supplysaid plateneedles at all times for rib-knitting, a plurality ofauxiliary-thread guides, a plurality of auxiliary cams, and means underthe control of a pattern-surface to put said auxiliary cams intooperative position to actuate said plate-needles to take thread fromsaid auxiliary-thread guides at points intermediate the said main-threadguide when tuck or royal rib is to be knitted, and means to effecttheputting of the said auxiliary cams out of operative position whenplain-rib knitting is to be carried on following tuck or royal ribknitting, and means to clamp and hold the ends of said auxiliarythreads, substantially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine, a dial-needle cam-plate, a pair of bladesoccupying a position Within the central opening of the said plate, and adial or plate needle bed, a cam mounted therein, and a pattern-surfaceto actuate said cam, combined with means intermediate one of said bladesand said cam to actuate the same at the proper time to cut a threadplaced between them, substantially as described.

6. The dial needle cam plate, and the ratchet-toothed ring having spacedcam projections 2 and mounted thereon, a pawl to move saidratchet-toothed ring on said camplate, a plurality of sets of auxiliarycams, levers a and 16, connected with said cams, and a lever c, saidlevers a and being acted upon by said cam projections and actuating saidauxiliary cams, substantially as described.

7. The dial-needle cam-plate, its cams a and a two levers a and 0connected with said cams, and a third lever having an adj usting device,combined with a ring having cam projections to actuate said levers a andc, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for knitting plain-rib stitch and tuck or royal ribstitch, the following in strumentalities, viz: a cylinder-needle bed tocontain cylinder-needles, a cam-cylinder to actuate said needles, a dialor plate needle bed, a series of plate-needles therein, a plurality ofmain thread guides containing threads to be used in plain-rib knitting,and a plurality of auxiliary-thread guides to contain threads to be usedonly When tuck or royal rib stitch is being made, a dial-needlecam-plate provided with a plurality of main cams to operate saidplate-needles, to take the threads from the main-thread guides forplain-rib knitting, and a plurality of auxiliary cams,,and means toautomatically put them in operative position to impart to saidplate-needles during each rotation of said cam-plate extra knittingmovements to engage the threads of said auxiliary-thread guides onlywhen tuck or royal rib stitch is being knitted, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN H. RICE.

Witnesses:

T. J. HOWARD, F. T. E. RICHARDSON.

